Western Heat
by Xenon Silver Sword
Summary: The heat was so overwhelming that even the horses knew they needed to get to the way station two miles away. There was no hint of shade and no hint of any water anywhere.


**This is for the AU (Western) weekly challenge over at the Riverdale FanFiction** **Challenge Forum.**

The wheels of the stage coach flew through the dusty dirt road. Dusty flying every which way. The sun was high in the sky beating down relentlessly. Sweat rolled down the driver; and the guard. The horses were panting in exhaustion. But there was no place to stop and rest. There was no water hole for the next two miles. There was no grass on the ground for the horses to eat. There was no shade for animal or humans. They had to go on. There was no other options.

"Just a few more miles. Then I'm treating these horses to a nice long rest." The driver looked sideways at the guard. "They have earned their keep today."

The guard nodded. "Yes they have. I'll make sure to give them a good rub down. Get some mush in 'em. They will be bedded down like no other horses ever."

"I feel bad for the passengers." The driver spat out the side of his mouth. "I hate going so rough ... but there is no other choice. If we don't get to the next way station as soon as possible; then I'm not sure the horses can take this heat."

"The heat came upon us at the worst possible time." The guard sighed deeply. "If only we could have realized how hot today was going to come five miles ago. Then we could have rested the horses longer. We could have gotten more water prepared."

"Not much we can do now." The driver shook his head. "Don't dwell on it. It is what it is. We have to make the best we can. Try to spare the horses as much as we can. They don't seem ready to slow down any themselves." He lifted the reigns. "I'm giving them the lead.

(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)

"I'm so glad that you agreed to this trip." Veronica smiled across the carriage at her best friend. The woman whom had stolen her heart the moment they had met.

The blonde softly smiled. "You knew I would agree Veronica." She gently shook her head just as the carriage wheels hit a bump. She winched slightly.

A frown made its way onto Veronica's lips. "I'm sorry this trip is so rough." She desperately wanted to lean forward and place her arms around Betty. She didn't give a care that they were sitting opposite each other; or that the fast paced carriage wasn't the best place to make such a move. But Betty was in pain. _Her_ Betty was in pain. The only thing preventing her to do as she wished was that they weren't alone in the stage coach. If they had been then there would be no way that Veronica would have kept her hands off of Betty. She desperately wanted to be able to sit next to her soul mate; and have the blonde lean into her front. She wanted to be able to hold Betty as they traveled.

But luck didn't work that way. Instead they had to share the stage coach with others. By the looks of them it looked like a stern elderly doctor; a lawyer. A woman whom had a stick so far up her ... anyway the two girls were not alone.

The woman sniffed. Veronica wanted to demand to know why the woman was having an issue with her being concerned for her friend. But Betty's eyes met hers and a very slight shake of her head kept her mouth closed. The woman sniffed once more.

Veronica seriously couldn't believe that they were even sharing a stage coach with anyone. Her father owned three stage coaches companies. She could have very easily had gotten her father to agree to allow her and Betty their own private stage coach for their trip out to Nebraska. But Betty wanted to travel just like everyone else. She didn't want to get special treatment. That was one of the many things that Veronica loved about Betty. Betty doesn't want to make her life more easier. Even through she had every right too.

"When are we going to stop." The older gentleman to the right of Betty frowned darkly. "It's too hot to be traveling. There is no air coming in. Expect for the heated breeze." Sweat was pouring freely down his thin waxed face.

The woman frowned. "There is no shade anywhere for miles. Not water holes anywhere." She glared upwards to the roof of the carriage. "Why did these two men decide that today was a good day to travel."

"It started off a nice cool day this morning." Betty gently replied.

"Child you should speak only when you are spoken too." The woman glared across at Betty.

Veronica's body stiffen. "She's not a child. She's eighteen." She said in a firm voice.

The woman glared into Veronica's eyes. "Children should be seen not heard."

"Veronica." Betty's quiet and gentle voice spoke.

Veronica glared daggers into the woman's eyes before turning to look into Betty's soft and understanding blue eyes. She sighed as she welled her righteous anger down. It took a few moments as she allowed Betty's calming influence to ease into every aspect of her essence.

"Sorry about the roughness folks." The guard's voice called down. "We will be at the next weigh station in under a half hour."

"Thank God I'm taking the train for the rest of the trip." The elderly lawyer spoke next to Betty. "I can no longer bare this heat. Or this rough travel." He pulled his handkerchief from his breast pocket; his elbow accidentally knocked into Betty's side. "I'm so sorry dear." He frowned as he realized that he perhaps had harmed this very charming quiet blonde next to him.

Betty turned warm kind eyes to meet him. "It's quite all right sir. You didn't hurt me."

"Where are you two lovely ladies heading?" He smiled at Betty and smiled over at Veronica across from them.

"Nebraska." Betty replied.

The elderly woman snorted.

"Would you care for my handkerchief ma'am?" Veronica asked in a fake surgery voice.

"Children should be seen not heard." The woman frowned.

"We were asked to speak ma'am. By this kind gentleman." Veronica smiled a genuine smile at the elderly lawyer whom was sitting next to Betty.

"Not by me you haven't." The woman stated in a stern voice.

"Vanessa!" The doctor spoke in a harsh voice. He turned to the girls. "I'm sorry girls. The long travel; and this heat is getting to my wife."

Veronica and Betty both nodded in silence.

Before the woman could speak once more; the stage coach came to a halt. The guard jumped to the ground and opened the door. "So sorry for the last few miles ladies and gentlemen. It couldn't be helped. He held out a hand to help the woman from the stage."

"My husband and I will make other travel arrangements." She quickly stormed up the steps towards the front door of the way station.

Veronica and Betty silently waiting for the two gentlemen to exist the coach. Seeing how they both were next to the door.

The doctor stepped down from the coach. "I apologize for my wife." He sighed as he shook the guard's hand. "Thank you for the trip here." He looked up at the driver. "I would like to pay for some extra feed for these fine horses." He walked around to the front of the coach and petted each horses.

"Thank you sir." The driver nodded down ward.

"I will also like to pay for whatever care these two horses deserve to get tonight." The elderly lawyer spoke as he also petted the tired horses.

"Thank you sir." The driver smiled.

"I'm sorry that I made train reservations. I would quite enjoy finishing the journey with these two fine horses." The lawyer gave one last pat. He gave Veronica and Betty a light bow before making his way into the way station.

Betty walked over to the horses and gently petted them. "Thank you." She softly said to both horses. She felt Veronica at her side. "It's time to get these horses tended too." She found that the driver and the guard had all the bags; trunks off of the stage coach.

"We will be stopping by the barn later on. We want to personally give these two wonderful horses carrots and sugar." Veronica smiled up at the driver and guard whom have gotten back on top of the stage coach.

"Of course ma'am." The driver grinned. He turned and gently rapped the reigns against the horses flank.

(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)

"I'm glad that that woman has decided not to continue on with us." Veronica sighed as she combed her hair in the mirror. "Honesty Betty I don't think I could have handed it one more second longer."

"She was tired and hot. I'm sure that she was feeling ill due to the heat." Betty frowned in concern.

"The woman would have behaved as she did no matter what the circumstances." Veronica shook her head in negative fashion. "She's your mother only slightly older."

Betty frowned at the thought of her mother.

Veronica turned with an apologetic look in her eyes. "Oh Betty. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to bring your mother up." She had promised herself not to bring up Alice Cooper. At least not on this trip. This trip that took almost all the fight out of Betty just for her mother to agree.

"It's all right." Betty sighed deeply as she sat down on the bed. She absently twisted the ring on her finger.

"I'm sure you are missing Forsythe deeply." A hitch was in Veronica's voice as she tried to be upbeat about Betty's intended. "I'm sure he is missing you deeply." She finished as she tore her eyes from the sight of Betty playing with her engagement ring. Stabbing pain perched her heart. She was surprised that her heart was still beating. She honesty thought that she would have knelled over dead when Forsythe had gotten down on one knee and proposed to Betty. She had wanted to cry out and tell him; and the entire world that Betty was hers. That fate had desisted them to be together for all eternity. To be wedded. To have children in wedlock. To grow old together. To show the entire world of their true and ever lasting love.

But the year was 1888 and there would be no where in the world that they would be safe. If the world knew of their love for each other.

Betty looked up in concern at the hitch in Veronica's voice. She saw the slight shake of her best friend's shoulders. She knew the shorter brunette was trying to pull herself together. She had been doing this for a while now. More sure since Forsythe proposed to her. "You aren't going to lose me Veronica." She gently smiled. "Forsythe promised that if we ever move ... then he would make sure you were going to move also."

Veronica rolled her eyes. "Now I feel guilty." She hated the man even more now. How dare he use her like this against Betty. He won't win this game. She was better at all games in life.

Betty frowned. She didn't miss the bitterness in the other girl's voice. "Veronica ..."

"Lets go check on the horses." Veronica stated walked towards the door.

Betty knew better than to try to stop Veronica. She knew her dearest friend even better than her own self. Veronica's temper was up ... and she was doing her best to force it back down. Before she said things she really didn't want to say. Betty knew to give Veronica a little time. Then she'll be ready to talk what is bothering her.

Betty silently followed her friend down the stairs to the ground floor.

(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)

Moonlight bathed the room. The girls felt like waking up with the sunlight through the widow. The heat of the day hasn't left. A light sheen of sweat bathed both of the girls bodies. They only had the thin sheet pulled up towards their chest.

To thin arms rest atop of the sheet. Fingers intertwined together; where you couldn't tell which fingers were which.

"I'm sorry Betty." Veronica's soft voice spoke in the night air. She felt the gentle squeeze of Betty's hand in her own. "I'm sorry that I was being so childish."

"You weren't being childish." Betty turned her head so she was facing Veronica's. Veronica whom was ever so close to her. Veronica was mostly against her pillow then her own. Betty felt warm all over ... not due to natural. This warmth was all Veronica Lodge.

Veronica rose her left eyebrow.

Betty bit her lip. "Okay you were being a little childish." She sighed as she relaxed. "But it's understandable."

Veronica looked into the greenish blue eyes of the love of her life. The love of her life she couldn't shout to the entire world. The love of her life that she couldn't even tell. The love of her life that she had to watch marry someone else. A male someone else. All she wanted to do was to escape. To take Betty and escape from the world that would deny a pure and true love as theirs. But where could they go?

Betty reached over with her free hand and gently stroked Veronica's warm cheek. "Hey there."

"Do you honesty love him?" Veronica breathed out.

"Yes I do." Betty smiled. "I have always loved him." She felt the slight tightness in Veronica's skin.

"I hope he will never hurts you." Fire entered her eyes. "If he does ..."

"Juggie would never dream of hurting me." Betty calmly said.

"You mean everything to me Betty. Everything." Veronica breathed out. She searched Betty's eyes for the blonde to completely understand her. But she could tell that Betty still thought Veronica meant friendship. A close friendship.

Betty felt like a great weight over come the place where Veronica had always held in her soul. Her forehead crinkled in concern. "Veronica ..." She breathed out.

"Tomorrow Betty. Tomorrow." Veronica husked out. Her eyes closed as she hid her soul away from Betty's. She just needed time to somehow build a strong enough wall around so Betty can't know what her soul wants. Whom it wants.

 **end (?)**

 **I may come back to this with a series of one shots ... or perhaps I may write a muti-chapter story. This is the first time I wrote a western theme one shot ... and one that was set in the 1800s. I ended it here so I can post it for the AU (Western) over at the RFFCF.**


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